The Camp of the Twelve Tribes of Isra'el

Numbers 2: 1-34

ADONAI said to Moses and AaronHis servants:
The Israelites are to camp
around the Tabernacle some distance from it, each man under his standard with
the banners of his family (Numbers 2:1-2). Jewish tradition suggests that the
standard for the tribe ofJudah was a lion; the standard for the tribe ofReuben
was the face of a man; the standard for
the tribe ofEphraim was an ox; and the
standard for the tribe of Dan was an eagle. These were the same as the faces of
the cherubim that Ezekiel saw in his vision during the Babylonian captivity
(Ezekiel 1:10), and that John saw around the throne of God (Revelation 4:6b-8).
So as far as the positioning of the standards are concerned, you would see
the
lion on the east,
an ox on the west,
an eagle on the northand the face of a man on the south. Like the New Jerusalem with three gates on each side
(Revelation
21:13), there will be three tribes on each side of the Tabernacle.

To enter the Tabernacle you had to go through
the tribe ofJudah, because the
entrance was on its eastern side. On the east, toward the sunrise, the divisions
of the camp of Judah are to encamp under their standard of a lion.
And we see in
the book of Revelation that Jesus is the Lion of the tribe of
Judah (Revelation 5:5; also see Genesis
49:8-10). The lion represents His strength, authority, and
royalty. But it is also given to us that He would come from
the tribe of Judah.
He would be the son of David who would reign on the throne. In Solomon’s porch
there were six steps that led up to his throne. On each step were two lions, one
on each side. There were twelve lions all together. This represented all twelve
tribes under one king. This corresponds to the book of Matthew that pictures
Jesus as the King. The leader of the people of Judah is Nahshon son of Amminadab
who appears in later genealogies in the messianic line (Ruth 4:20 and Matthew
1:4). His division numbers 74,600 (Numbers 2:3-4). The tribe of Issacharwill
camp next to them. The leader of the people of Issachar is Nethanel son of Zuar.
His division is 54,400 (Numbers 2:5-6). The tribe of Zebulun will be next. The
leader of the people of Zebulun is Eliab son of Helon. His division numbers
57,400 (Numbers 2:7-8). All the men assigned to the camp of Judah, according to
their divisions, number 186,400. The tribes in this division represented the
fourth, fifth and sixth sons of Leah. When they marched, the standard of
a lion
went out first (Numbers 2:9).

On the southwill be the divisions of the camp of Reuben under their standard
of the face of a man.Ezekiel was standing on the Kebar River looking north when
he saw the four living creatures and the Shechinah glory. They were coming out
of the north, and that meant that the face of a man was facing south and would
be the tribe of Reuben (Ezekiel 1:4 and 10). This corresponds to the book of
Luke
that pictures Jesus as the Son of Man. The leader of the people of Reuben is Elizur son of Shedeur. His division numbers 46,500 (Numbers 2:10-11).
The tribe
of Simeon will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Simeon is Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. His division numbers 59,300 (Numbers 2:12-13).
The
tribe of Gad will be next. The leader of the people of Gad is Eliasaph son of
Deuel. His division numbers 45,650 (Numbers 2:14-15). All the men assigned to
the camp of Reuben, according to their divisions, number 151,450. Reuben and
Simeon were the first and second sons of Leah. Levi was the third son, but that
tribe could not make up part of the Reuben division because of its religious
duties. So Gad, the oldest son of Leah’s handmaid, was aligned with Reuben. In
the line of march, this division set out second, under
the face of a man as its
standard, behind Judah (Numbers 2:16).

Then the Tabernacle and the camp of the Levites will dwell in the middle of
the twelve tribes of Israel (Numbers 2:17a). The tribe of Levi was divided into
three families, under his three sons,
Gershon, Lohath and
Merari. Each had his
own separate place of encampment around the Tabernacle, and to each was
committed a specific responsibility. The Merarites, who encamped on
the north, watched over, erected, and carried all the solid framework of the Tabernacle,
the pillars of the surrounding courts, together with the sockets of silver and
brass. The weight might have been as much as fifteen tons.

The Gershonites pitched towards the west, and had under their care the
curtains, hangings and coverings of the Tabernacle and court, which they also
carried on their journeys. To the Kohathites, whose
camp was south, were given the duty of carrying the seven pieces of the Tabernacle furniture. Thus, was all
distributed among these three families of Levites, and each family had its own
responsibility.472 This was the way the tribes of Israel camped, but in the line
of march they followed Reuben’s division.

EAST

Judah

Zebulun Issachar

Asher

Simeon

NORTHDan

The
Tabernacle

ReubenSOUTH

Naphtali

MosesAaronLevites

Gad

Benjamin Manasseh

Ephraim

WEST

On the west will be the divisions of the camp of Ephraim under their standard
an ox. Just as the lion is the sign for the tribe of
Judah, the ox is the sign for
the tribe of Ephraim (Deuteronomy 33:13-17; Jeremiah 31:18; Hosea 10:11). In
Solomon’s temple there were twelve oxen sitting beneath a huge water tank called
the sea. These twelve oxen were facing north, south, east and west. They
represented Israel under the leadership of the tribe of Ephraim. Israel would
soon be divided into two nations, the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern
kingdom of Judah.
The kings from the tribe of Ephraim would rule the Northern Kingdom, and the
kings from the tribe of Judah would lead the Southern Kingdom. But the sign of
the tribe of Ephraim was an ox. This corresponds to the book of
Mark that
pictures Yeshua as a Servant (Mark 10:45). The leader of the people of Ephraim
is Elishama son of Ammihud. His division numbers 40,500 (Numbers 2:18-19).
The
tribe of Manasseh will be next to them. The leader of the people of Manasseh is
Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. His division numbers 32,200 (Numbers 2:20-21).
The
tribe of Benjamin will be next. The leader of the people of Benjamin is Abidan
son of Gideoni. His division numbers 35,400 (Numbers 2:22-23). All the men
assigned to the camp of Ephraim, according to their divisions, number 108,100.
These three tribes traced their ancestry to Jacob through his wife Rachael. In
the line of march, they set out third and followed the Levites with
the standard of
an ox leading the way (Numbers 2:24).

On the northwill be the divisions of the camp of Dan, under their standard
an eagle. Just as the
ox is the sign for the tribe of
Ephraim, an eagle is the sign for
the tribe of Dan (Deuteronomy 33:13-17; Jeremiah 31:18; Hosea 10:11).
Jacob had compared Dan to a serpent (Genesis 49:17), but that was
changed later to an eagle. The leader of the people of Dan is Shiezer son of
Ammishaddai. His division numbers 62,700 (Numbers 2:25-26).
The tribe of Asher will camp next to them. The leader of the people of Asher is Pagiel son of Ocran.
His division numbers 62,700 (Numbers 2:27-28). The tribe of Naphtali
will be
next. The leader of the people of Naphtali is Ahira son of Enan. His division
numbers 53,400 (Numbers 2:29-30). All the men assigned to the camp of Dan number
157,600. Dan and Naphtali were the sons of Rachel’s handmaid, whereas, Asher was
the second son of Leah’s handmaid. In the line of march, they set out last,
under their standard of an eagle (Numbers 2:31).

These are the Israelites, counted according to their
families. All those in the camps, by their divisions, number 603,550 (Numbers
2:32). The Levites, however, were not counted along with the women and children,
as the LORD commanded
Moses (Numbers 2:32-33). A certain rationale may be seen in the arrangement of
the tribes on ancestral grounds, with the exception of Asher. But with the
grouping of the Rachel tribes together and the elimination of Levi, there is
hardly any other place for Asher to fit, so the overall pattern does appear to
reflect maternal origins.

So the Israelites did everything ADONAI commanded Moses; that is the way they
encamped under their standards, and that is the way they set out, each with his
own clan, family, and each under his own standard (Numbers 2:34; 2:17b). The
order of the line of march was according to this diagram, all tribes
retaining as nearly as possible the relative position of the encampment.

1. Judah

2. Issachar

3. Zebulon

4. Reuben

5. Simeon

6. Gad

Moses

Aaron

Levites (with the Ark of the Covenant on
their shoulders)

Levites of the family of
Kohath(with the Tabernacle furniture on their shoulders)

Levites from the family of
Gershon(with the curtains, hangings and
coverings on two wagons)

Levites from the family of
Merari (with the solid framework, silver and
gold sockets on four wagons)